


Deviant Heart

by Silvererros



Category: BingxAverage, Septiplier - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Family Drama, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 13:34:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16787956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvererros/pseuds/Silvererros
Summary: Chase Brody just wants to make his family's life easier, and maybe make a new friend. But his purchase of an android to help around the home seems to just make things worse...and a bit more complicated.





	1. Prologue

“And here we have the latest model.” The salesman gestured to a human-like figure that stood on a short podium for display. It was one of several models in the shop, but definitely unique compared to the rest. “MK900. It’s equipped with several different functions in order to perform just about any home-based task.”   
  
The shopper beside him looked up at the android in question, blue-gray eyes full of curiosity and excitement. He was dressed fairly young for his age, a close fitting tee shirt with a video game character on the chest over top a pair of skinny jeans with ripped knees, and black and green tennis shoes with light up soles. The flat-billed baseball cap in grays and bright reds just barely hid his chartreuse green bangs that peeked out from underneath, the rest of his short, brown, salt and pepper hair visible.

“What makes this one different from the AX400 you just showed me?” he asked.

“Ah, well! The MK900 can also function as a companion, if desired. If your children need help socializing, it can help teach them how. Need homeschooling? MK900’s got you covered with it’s teaching protocols! As they grow and become teenagers, going through all of the hormonal changes, this model will automatically adjust it’s programming to assist in giving them a confidant of sorts. It can especially help you understand what they’re feeling by reporting back to you, if you wish. It can even record what it sees and send it to your phone if you want to be a bit more discreet about it. Makes their sneaking out at night difficult, too. Not to mention, it can provide security for the home in the same way,” the salesman offered. “And should you and the Mrs. be into some kinky fun, after the children have gone to bed, he can also function as a personal sexual companion to spice up things in the bedroom. Highly recommended, I promise you.”

The shopper looked over the android in question. It was a male variation, broad-chested and programmed with tan skin and black hair for the display. It seemed about average height, from what he could tell, but it was hard to make much else of it since it wasn’t turned on. At least, it didn’t look like it was. It’s eyes were closed. It’s face was interesting, to say the least. It was like it was of mixed ethnicity. Some sort of Asian look, but at the same time not? He’d have to ask what it’s look was based on, sometime, if he went with this model. The sexual aspect of it wasn’t really what he was after; he new his wife would want none of that. But the rest did sound pretty good, he had to admit.

He glanced at the hologram that showed the android’s model number and possible uses, and he noticed the price was marked as reduced. “So, if it’s such a great model, why is it on sale?”

“This particular unit has a...slight defect.” The salesman hesitated a moment before giving a command, “MK900, activate optical units.”

The android’s eyes snapped open, making the shopper jump slightly, and instead of a normal color like they should be, the irises were an unsettling bright orange. Even it’s sclera were a bit off, a shade of shiny dark gray rather than the white they should be.

“Whoa…” The green-haired man stared up at the android.

“Yes,” the salesman sighed, figuring the sale was lost, “See, for some reason this unit’s eyes are unable to change color. Most of our customers find it off-putting. We’ve been asked about replacing the damaged parts, but being new, the replacement parts aren’t quite available just yet. So, rather than try to replace the parts ourselves, we’ve been told to sell it for a lo-”

“I’ll take it!” the shopper exclaimed, a grin adorning his face.

“Oh! R-Really? Alright then! I’ll go get the paperwork for you.” The salesman scurried off to grab everything needed to finalize the sale.

The shopper stepped closer, looking up at the android who stared back at him. “Hello there!” he smiled up at it, waving a hand. “My name’s Chase Brody. Hope you don’t mind coming home with me. What do I call you?”

The android tilted his head slightly. “I am MK900, serial number 323 808 628-81. If you wish, you may assign me a name by which to answer to,” it answered in a smooth, stoic tone. It’s voice was deeper than he’d expected, but sounded friendly enough.

“I get to name you? So cool! Uh, lemme think a moment,” Chase hummed in thought. What did one name an android? He’d never bought one before, but he was sure there were lots of names that would fit. Although, one did come to mind. He used to have a favorite search engine till it got shut down some time ago. Not enough traffic anymore, apparently. Maybe that would work? “How about...Bing. How does that sound?”   
  
“If that is what my master wishes to call me, then it is a perfect choice,” came that deep voice once again. “I will register the name to my hard drives.” While Bing spoke, the ring shaped LED on his right temple briefly changed color before shifting back to it’s default blue.

“No need to call me master, dude,” Chase chuckled. “Get down here, let’s go finish that paperwork!”   
  
Bing stepped down from the podium, standing in front of Chase. Now that he could get a good look, it seemed the android was a couple inches taller than he was.

“Dude, this is going to be so great!” Chase gave him a pat on the shoulder and a big grin as he guided him over to checkout. “I can’t wait for you to meet my wife and kids. They’re going to love you!”

“Love?” Bing questioned his use of the word. It wasn’t a word that made much sense to him, a foreign concept.

“Yeah, of course!” Chase chuckled. He faced the counter and signed wherever the salesman pointed. The paperwork itself was unexpectedly thick, but he figured most of it was the usual legal mumbo-jumbo that they put on all large purchases anymore. Once that was done, he handed the salesman his card and shot Bing a bright smile while it was scanned.

Bing simply watched and observed, taking digital notes on his new owner’s behavior. For his age, which Bing estimated was in his late twenties to mid thirties just by noting the few gray hairs scattered here and there, this man - Chase - seemed to act much younger than he was. According to his databanks, men in his age range were usually more professional. Yet, Chase acted like a late teen, at best.

Once Chase received his card, he motioned Bing to follow him. “C’mon! I wanna show you your new home!”

Bing obeyed, following Chase out onto the sidewalk, stopping only briefly to glance at the city buildings around him. The sun was setting, bathing everything in a warm orange, and street lights had begun to glow, brightening the streets beneath them. Cars were still buzzing up and down the streets as workers went home or arrived for the night shift.

When he turned his gaze back to Chase, he was standing by an older model of car that had obviously seen better days. With a quick search, it was easy to identify the model.

“A 1993 Land Rover Defender 110. Four-door, hardtop, olive green. An old military vehicle, by the looks of the matte paint,” Bing listed off, stepping closer to the car. It was covered in dings and dents, even a few scratches were visible on the paint. It wasn’t exactly a vehicle one expected to see in 2037. “Adapted for driving on U.S. roads, as well, from the placement of the wheel.”

“Well yeah. Gotta keep it legal.” Chase chuckled, “Come on, get in. I swear, as old as she looks, her seats are still very comfy.”

“Comfort is not exactly a necessity for me,” Bing reminded him as he got into the older SUV.

“Right, right. Android. Gotta wrap my head around that.” Chase shut the door and dashed around to the other side, sliding into the driver’s seat and shutting his door. “Glad to see you know your cars, by the way! Can’t wait to see what else you know about,” he said as he stuck the key in the ignition and turned it, the Defender sputtering for a moment before the motor turned over, the vehicle rumbling to life.

“I can research just about any topic in a matter of two to ten seconds, depending on complexity. Faster if it is a common subject,” Bing informed him.

“No need to show off just yet!” Chase chuckled again. “Man, you’re fun to talk to! I definitely think you and I are going to be great friends, bro.” He set the car in drive and checked that traffic was clear before pulling out onto the road, starting the drive back home.

Chase had no doubt that he and the kids were going to enjoy having Bing around. They could all have a lot of fun, not to mention Bing could take a lot of the stress of homemaking off of his wife for a change. It could really give them a better chance to work things out, have some time to themselves more. Hell they could go on date nights again! They hadn’t done that in forever.

The only question now...was how to convince Stacy to let them keep Bing around.


	2. Welcome Home

Besides the radio attempting to play some sort of music, and only successfully letting static through, the ride to the suburbs was surprisingly quiet.

Bing himself was not much of a talker, more interested in watching the scenery as it passed by outside. He had a general idea of where they were and with his programming, he could easily map out the route from the city to Chase’s home.

Going over the previous conversation in his recordings, Bing turned to look at Chase. His owner was barely focused on the road, seemingly driving on muscle memory while lost in his thoughts. His brow was furrowed, an indication of worry. Perhaps it would be better to help his master focus, at least so he could arrive home safely.

“I recall you mentioned you have children?” Bing asked, his sudden question making Chase jolt slightly out of his thoughts.

“Oh, uh, yeah! Yeah, I do,” Chase answered. “I have two. My son, Grayson, and my daughter, Samantha.” He gave him an awkward grin, “Grayson is twelve, and Sammy’s eight. They’re great kids, they always do well in school.”

“And your wife?” Bing asked, gathering what information he could.

“Stacy…” Chase sighed, “Stacy is a couple years younger than me. She’s really sweet, although she can be kinda..stubborn, I guess you could put it? She works hard every day-”

Bing arched a brow while his owner rambled on for a few minutes. Why did Chase seem so uneasy about discussing his wife? There were moments while he talked that he seem almost hesitant to speak.

“Anyway, I’m sure things will work out just fine,” Chase grinned. He took a couple quick glances at Bing before pulling over at the nearest gas station, parking in a space by the doors to the convenience store inside.

“Why have we stopped?” Bing asked.

“Well, you kinda are a bit freaky lookin’. No offense, dude,” Chase said, unbuckling his seat belt.

“None taken,” Bing nodded his head once, “Many people find my eyes a bit unsettling.”

“Yeah, well… I don’t want the kids to freak out at first sight, y’know? I mean, I think you look really cool, but it might be a bit of a surprise to them.” Chase turned off the SUV and hopped out. “C’mon! We’ll find you a pair of sunglasses.”

The convenience store was average at best, no more unique than any other, based on what he could look up. Bing calmly removed himself from the vehicle and followed Chase...to the back of his car. He’d half expected to be heading inside, but instead his new owner had darted back to the trunk. Chase had already opened the trunk door and was searching through a box that sat in the back, filled with various styles of sunglasses. He wasn’t sure what good sunglasses would do, other than to impair his vision, but it seemed as though his new master was more concerned about his family’s reactions to him than anything.

He stepped close, observing small gestures, posture, anything his programming could pick up on under the lights of the gas station canopy. “Master-”

“Dude, I told you, just call me Chase,” the human male chuckled, pulling a pair out of the box and placing them on Bing’s face. “Hmm...not cool enough.” He promptly removed them and set them back in the box, glancing through them again.

“..Chase. You seem...nervous about your family meeting me,” Bing started, ignoring as Chase put another set of glasses on his face to promptly take them off again. “May I inquire as to why?”

“What? Pfft, nah, I’m not, heh, I’m not nervous,” Chase chuckled slightly, “W-What would give you that idea?” He quickly put another pair on Bing’s face. “How are those?”

Bing simply stared forward, the black wrap-around glasses completely obscuring his eyes. “...Dark.” They were honestly too dark; he couldn’t see anything through them. Were these even legal to sell?

“Right, right,” Chase took them off and set them back in the box. “There’s gotta be something here…”

It was becoming clear to Bing that Chase was, in fact, a terrible liar and was doing his best to distract him from the question. Everything in his database pointed to it: perspiration, nervous glances, avoiding questions, dilated pupils. All this compared to what had seemed like a very calm individual almost an hour ago. Before Chase could put another pair of sunglasses on his face, Bing gently grabbed his wrists and lowered them down to his sides. “Sir-”

“Please don’t call me ‘sir,’ it makes me feel old,” Chase grimaced.

“Is your family even aware you were making a purchase today?” Bing asked bluntly.

Chase seemed to freeze for a moment before cracking a nervous smile. “Y-Yes, why?”

“Because my scans indicate signs of disingenuous behavior,” Bing stated, releasing Chase’s wrists.

“You can pick that up?” Chase asked.

Bing nodded. “It is a part of my programming in order to help identify if your children or teens are being deceitful so as to get away with an act that is either against your wishes or unlawful. Now...although it is not necessary for you as my owner to be truthful, I would recommend trying to be up front with me. The more factual information I have to work with, the better I can function in the roles given to me.”

Chase was hesitant to answer. Shit, there’d be no hiding stuff from this thing, would there?

“So. Do they know of your purchase of an android unit?” Bing asked again.

“...O-Of course…” Chase’s smile immediately fell as his eyes were cast to the floor, “...not. No, they don’t know…” He sighed and palmed his face.

Bing tilted his head slightly, watching his face. “May I ask why they are not aware?”

“You’re…” Chase hesitated, “Sort of an impulse buy, bro. I was doing a lot of thinking while driving around and when I passed by the store, I figured I’d take a look. Get lost in my thoughts a bit...you know how it is.”

Bing simply blinked.

“...Right, you don’t know how that is.” Chase sighed. “I just...I feel like we need some help around the house at home, and the kids need help with school. They’ve been having some troubles… Look, don’t worry about it, alright? Like I said, I’m sure they’ll love you!” he smiled, trying to be cheerful again.

“Are you really sure?” Bing asked.

“...Y’know, I think you’re more of an orange kinda guy,” Chase said as he continued searching through the box, changing the subject.

There he went avoiding the question again. Something told Bing’s circuits that this was a deeply ingrained habit that would mostly cause problems, later. But then, he was just to do as he was ordered by Chase and by his wife, if he so wished it. Another pair of sunglasses were placed on his face, this time still allowing plenty of light. The frames were orange with rounded lenses, from what he could tell at first glance.

“Those! Those look so cool on you!” Chase grinned, picking up a hand mirror that was nestled against the side of the box. “Look in the mirror! They look great!”

Bing did as he was told and looked in the small mirror. The lenses were a polarized red and hid his eyes well, but the lens color didn’t mess with his systems too bad. They seemed to have a strange, tiny set of secondary lenses that were black, one on each side. He assumed they were just for looks. “Hm...I suppose these are...sufficient.”

“Do you like them?” Chase asked, causing Bing to look at him.

Bing was a bit thrown off by the question. “If you think they will work for our purposes-”

“No, no,” Chase shook his head, “Do you like them?”

How was he supposed to answer that? It wasn’t in his programming to show favoritism towards one thing or another. He was simply to perform his duties as required.

“I mean, it’s fine if you don’t, bro,” Chase gave a small smile and shrugged, “It’s not that big of a deal, really. It’s just...kinda easy to forget you’re not human, y’know? Barely had you around for a night and I’m forgetting.” He gave him a pat on the shoulder and guided him back to the passenger seat. “C’mon, let’s finish the drive home.”

  
  


\-----

  
  


The house itself was...modest, to say the least. There was no garage, so Chase parked out on the street behind a much newer model van. It looked odd in front of the single story home, a house that clearly needed some work done. Although it wasn’t run down, it did look like it hadn’t been painted or managed in some time; paint was peeling off here and there, the colors were slightly faded from exposure, and the grass was about due for a trim. Looking it up online, it appeared this house somehow fit three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and had a basement under the house.

“Come meet the kids. They should be done with their homework by now,” Chase hopped out of the car and met with Bing on the other side as he stepped out. He took a step back and opened up his arms, “Welcome to mi casa! I know it’s not too much to look at, but it’s comfortable.”

Bing raised a brow, glancing over the house again. “Are you aware that there is a missing shingle on your roof? It would be best to repair that, otherwise, you could have a leak into the attic space the next time it rains.”

“Seriously?” Chase glanced up at the roof, squinting at in under the light of the street lamp, “Huh...Well, we’ll get to that later! Can’t really do anything at this hour. Let’s head in,” he grinned, leading Bing up to the front door.

The android followed him closely, glancing around the yard. He turned to watch Chase when the jingling of keys caught his attention, along with his owner’s quiet mumbling to himself.

“Everything will be okay, everything will be okay…”

Bing frowned slightly. It didn’t quite make sense.

Chase took a deep breath and pushed the door open, walking inside. “I’m home!”

“DAD!”

“DADDY!”

A little boy and girl came running from around the corner and threw themselves at Chase, enveloping him in hugs and laughter.

“Hey, kids!” Chase chuckled and ruffled his son’s hair, leaning over to kiss the top of his daughter’s head. “You two have a good day?”

While Grayson and Samantha regaled their father with stories about their day, Bing glanced around the house from where he stood. Seemed like the walls were due for some fresh paint, stains seemed to decorate them here and there, most likely from some form of colorful ink that didn’t quite wash away despite having been scrubbed at a number of times. The carpet was in need of replacement. It was flattened so badly and had dulled in color over time that he had no doubt the padding underneath offered little comfort. He leaned a bit to peek around the corner and could already see some toys scattered on the floor. He could see some reasons as to why his wife might stress a bit, especially if she was a working woman with little time to clean. Still, it shouldn’t be too much to handle.

“Who’s he?” Samantha’s small voice caught his attention and he looked at her. She was only slightly shorter than her brother, and both had Chase’s brown hair. It had been allowed to grow long and framed her heart-shaped face well.

Grayson looked the most like his father in facial structure, although his eyebrows were a bit thinner. Most likely a trait from his mother. His eyes were gray, compared to his sister’s striking blue.

“Well, sweetie, this is Bing,” Chase introduced him, placing a hand on the android’s shoulder. “He’ll be staying with us, from now on.”

“Excuse me?” came an irritated female voice from where Bing could assume was the kitchen, based on the floor plan for the house. A woman walked out into the open space, drying her hands with a towel. Her hair was a darker blonde, but judging by her darker eyebrows, it wasn’t her natural color. Her eyes were also gray, although not as clear and bright compared to their son. She appeared to be close to Chase’s height, although the heels she was wearing set her a couple inches taller. From what Bing had been told before arriving, this must be Stacy. “I don’t remember discussing anyone staying...” Stacy froze once she finally looked up from drying her hands. “...here.” Her eyes immediately darted to the obvious LED on Bing’s right temple.

“Now, Stacy, sweetheart-” Chase began, walking over to her.

“Get that thing out of my house,” she demanded, grabbing their children by the arms and pulling them back with her, away from Bing. Both children looked up at her, confused.

“Sweetheart, please, let me explain.” Chase stepped over to her and gently touched her shoulders, talking quickly in order to get a word in.

"I said I want it OUT of my house!" Stacy repeated, raising her voice and shaking his hands off of her..

"U-Uh, Bing, maybe step back outside for a minute," Chase suggested, casting a pleading look at the android in question.

Bing simply nodded and opened the door, stepping back out onto the front step and closing the front door behind him. The last thing he heard clearly before the door closed was Chase telling his children to go to their rooms in a somewhat hushed tone. While Bing's eyes scanned the front yard, eventually falling on Chase's car where it sat out front, he could hear the occasional muffled yell from Stacy as she protested his being there. She didn't seem to be doing much to hide her disdain for the android, already, calling him a "monster" and a "walking hunk of garbage," among other things. He could tell Chase was trying to defend his being there, which was unnecessary. Not that he could inform him of such at that moment.

The argument went on for thirty minutes, eventually ending when the front door opened and Chase came tumbling out, landing in the grass.

"You can sleep in the shed tonight with that thing, if you want it around so bad!" Stacy yelled out the door before slamming it shut, an audible click sounding the fact that it would be locked till morning.

Bing looked down at his owner with a raised brow. "Perhaps it would be best to return me."

"No, no, it's okay Bing," Chase said, getting up on his knees and wiping at his face. "She's just...She's not exactly quick to embrace change." He sniffled and stood himself up, brushing off his pants.

"Sir," Bing frowned, "Are you alright?"

Chase seemed to suddenly perk up, turning to smile at Bing. "Yeah, fine. Never better." Well, that was definitely a lie. Every sensor in Bing's body practically screamed it. "Anyway, um..." Chase gestured for him to follow, "This way."

Bing obeyed and followed him around to the back of the house, eyeing Chase carefully. He seemed significantly less chatty compared to earlier. Granted, he knew it was mostly due to the disagreement with his wife, which would cause moodiness in any human, but something seemed...off. It seemed like Chase was trying to pretend it hadn't happened at all.

They turned the corner into the backyard, revealing the sliding doors that led to the kitchen, a swing set and a few toys at one end of the yard, and a decently sized shed at the other with a lock on the door. Bing could guess by looking at the shed that it was most likely used to house their lawn mower and various tools. It could also be a hobby space for Chase, although it was difficult to tell just what kind of hobby Chase would even pick up. Upon approaching the shed, Chase pulled out his keys from his pocket and flipped to a padlock key, slipping it in the lock with barely a thought and unlocking the door for them.

"So, this is where...you and I are staying tonight," Chase started, walking inside with Bing in tow, "It's not too bad, really. Although, it'll be a little chilly in here. But, then again, you probably don't have to worry about that, right?"

"I have an internal heater that activates if the temperature drops below a certain degree to help keep outer extremities from freezing," Bing informed him, looking around the shed as he shut the door behind them. It was like he thought initially, a place to store the mower and various tools. Although, it was also a hobby shed it appeared. Half of the shed, closest to the door, was dedicated to just tools and garden supplies. The other, furthest from the door, contained a small work table, a small space heater stored under it, and a cot with a blanket folded up at the end. A board and various smaller parts - wheels, screws, and the like - sat out on the table, a variety of paints tucked away to one corner with some brushes. At least six more, skateboards based on Bing's search, were hung up on the wall with mounts above the table. "Although, if need be, I can activate it sooner should it be necessary."

"Man, they thought of everything for you, huh?" Chase sat down on the cot and watched him for a moment, pulling out the space heater and turning it on. He noticed Bing's gaze seemed to be focused on the boards on the wall and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "Oh, uh, just...ignore those. It's just an old hobby of mine-"

"These are quite well done," Bing commented, looking over the skateboards. Each one had a different design or image painted on the bottom. Two were more abstract, a swirling of color and geometric shapes. Two others were branded with specific designs, one of which was easily recognizable as the skull shaped emblem on Chase's hat. And the last were painted with two different scenes, one of an ocean at sunset, the other of an underwater cutaway full of colorful fish and coral. There was a particular level of talent in the last two that even Bing, as an android, could recognize.

"You...you really think so?" Chase asked, his tone hopeful for a moment. He sighed, though, a look of disappointment on his face. "Oh wait...you're probably just programmed to compliment your owner..."

"I have no such programming," Bing frowned slightly, looking at Chase. "Unless you tell me to incorporate it, my programming is fairly basic. Compliments are not programmed into my hardware."

"Oh..." Well, now Chase felt bad for assuming. "Well then...thanks. You really think they look good?" he asked.

Bing nodded. "These two compare well to that of classical painters. It takes a certain level of skill to produce images of this nature."

Chase rubbed at the back of his neck, a dusting of pink gracing his cheeks as a small smile worked its way up. "Wow. Thanks, bro. I didn't think I was that good."

"Why not?" Bing asked, tilting his slightly to one side.

"Well..." Chase pulled off his hat, revealing his wavy, bright green hair underneath and carding his fingers through it. "I just...I don't know, I guess because no one's ever complimented me on this stuff before. Anyone I've ever showed them to is usually harpin' on me about finding something more 'constructive' to do, or focusing on finding a better job rather than on doing this stuff," he gestured to the table with a nod.

"Does your wife not support your hobby?" Bing asked.

Chase shook his head. "No, not really. She also thinks I could be doing something else. Working in an office or something, like she does. Not that I haven't tried, it's just...I don't know, I would say it's my hair, but this is sort of a recent change. Besides, it's not like I don't make money where I currently work. It's just not as much as it could be, I guess..." Chase sat his hat on the table and sighed. "Well, anyway...I should get some sleep. I've gotta head to work after I drop off the kids at school, and once Stacy gets back home, I have to try and convince her to at least give you a chance."

"You could still return me," Bing offered. "You would receive a full refund and your wife would be happi-"

"She'd be happier if you were here," Chase interrupted, almost sounding desperate as he clutched the edge of the cot. "...I'm sure she would. I just...I need her to give you a chance, okay? Don't give up on me yet." He gave Bing that pleading look again and for a moment, the android was concerned he might have suffered a minor malfunction.

Something about that look seemed to be triggering a protective protocol in his systems that was usually reserved for emergency situations, and he wasn't sure why. For the moment, Bing simply nodded. "If that is what you wish...Chase. Ultimately, it is your decision what happens to me."

Chase seemed to relax a bit, visibly, and laid down on the cot with a sigh. "I'm gonna sleep. I'll see ya in the morning, man." He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, leaving Bing to do as he pleased in the shed.

Once Chase was asleep, Bing ran diagnostics on his systems, checking through every part, every program, including protection protocols. Everything seemed to be running normally, now, despite the hiccup earlier. Whatever it had been, it was minor and clearly nothing to worry about. He made a note for himself to keep an eye out for such glitches in case it ever happened again, his LED briefly changing to a yellow color before shining blue again. As they were in a darker space, he removed his sunglasses glancing over them before setting them on the table.

His eyes. They were always a hot topic among humans. The whispers, the blatant refusals brought on by them, all because they weren't quite "normal." Humans had funny ideas about what was normal. They were, in all fairness, animals but normal for them was to wear clothes and say they were nothing like animals. They seemed to hold this strange disconnection from the world around them that didn't quite make sense. Bing knew he was an android; it didn't make him any different from any other android or from a factory run robotic arm, for that matter. Whether he wore clothes and spoke, or not, it didn't matter. He was a machine, and he didn't deny that. So why did humans deny so much about themselves? And about each other? Stacy clearly hadn't wanted him there, supposedly out of fear or anxiety based on her elevated heart rate earlier, before she devolved into outright anger at her spouse. Yet, Chase seemed determined that everything would work out.

Bing's orange eyes glanced in Chase's direction. The man was curled up on the cot, fast asleep. He was shivering slightly, despite having a space heater aimed in his direction, and hadn’t bothered to grab the blanket that was bundled at the foot of the bed. Bing's owner was a stubborn one, that much was certain. The android stepped closer to the cot, grabbing the blanket and pulling it up over Chase’s shoulders.

Tomorrow, he would analyze a day in his master’s life and see what he was dealing with. For now, all that he could do was wait and count the seconds that passed by until sunrise.


End file.
